ZeeWI: The Officially Unofficial Grand Championship Rankings (Week 10)

A new week brings us to a new set of rankings for the toughest title in all of Global Force Impact Wrestling, the Grand Championship! Last week saw the Victory Road edition of Impact, where every championship but the Grand Championship was defended!

That doesn’t mean there’s no changes in this week’s rankings, though! Not after the incredible action between Trevor Lee and Petey Williams, the high-stakes encounter between E_Li_Drake and Johnny Impact, and certainly not after the supremely tense altercation between James Storm, EC3, Texano, and Hijo de Fantasma, followed up by Storm and Carter seemingly calling a halt to their rivalry, and shaking hands.

When the action is this hot and heavy, you know that something’s gotta give. So, who’s in? Who’s out? Did Moose manage to find the fire and stay in the rankings, or did he finally exit after placing in every prior week??

Let’s get to it! But first, please do remember…

In ranking the contenders, the following scientific criteria shall be considered:

1. Wins / Losses in recent outings
2. Crowd Response / Interest
3. Momentum Meter (Green, Yellow, Red)
4. Megamove

As Global Force Impact Wrestling can, at times, be the Wild West, it is always difficult to try and instill some order, and that’s understood. Still, the second most important championship needs to have a clear path for those who hope to win it, and I intend to provide it.

To that end, we will break down the Top 5 in the Grand Championship Division, and hope to show the of Global Force Impact Wrestlers exactly where they stand!!!

On to the rankings! (Writer’s Note: Don’t forget – if it hasn’t aired, it isn’t official!)

Grand Champion: Ethan Carter, III (EC3)
Last Week: Champion

It may not have been a well-earned victory in a hard-fought match, but EC3 definitely got himself a moral victory, as well as a small battle in his bubbling war with the AAA contingent of Fantasma, Texano, and Pagano.

When Fantasma and Texano appeared to attack Storm, it was Carter who appeared to save the day, clearing the ring of the dastardly duo. Storm would attempt to shake the hand of the Grand Champion, who initially bristled at the offer… before ultimately reconsidering, and showing that while the two are most certainly not friends, they are united in the desire to stop anyone who would dare attack the integrity of the company.

Carter’s in a very interesting position right now, as the two people he’s been associating with as of late – Eddie Edwards and James Storm – are two wrestlers that are more than capable of defeating him and taking the Grand Championship away. For now, at least, Carter has to convince himself that he can trust both men to do the honorable thing by him (which probably explains why he’d save Storm in the first place) while they battle with the AAA contingent. A contingent that is also more than happy to take that Grand Championship from Carter.

Everywhere he looks, Carter sees someone who most likely wants what is his. At least for now, however, he can count on two of them not yet acting on that desire.

#1 Contender: Hijo de Fantasma
Last Week: #1 Contender

Fantasma holds tight after another strong showing last week. The man has really begun to let that darker side shine through after trying to come off as the fair-fighting type upon his arrival to Impact. Assisting Texano in the beatdown of James Storm was a great way to send a message – not only to Storm, or Carter – but to everyone that he and his friends are not to be taken lightly.

In Storm and Carter, you have two of Impact’s very best. Add Eddie Edwards to the mix, and you’ve now got three impeccable athletes who have won titles at every level of the company. And for some reason, that hasn’t scared Fantasma and company one bit, which has to be appreciated.

This battle is going to come down to who refuses to quit, and it appears that the AAA guys have no intention of giving in. Fantasma knew what he was doing the second he made the call to Pagano and Texano, and they have been trying to send the message every week since: “Do not underestimate us, we’re here to take over.”

Heading into this week’s tag encounter pitting himself and Texano against Storm and EC3, there is a lot on the table here. A win for Team AAA is big no matter what, but if that victory should come in the form of a pin or a submission win over Carter? Then an even bigger statement will have been made – you are beatable, and I’m the one to do it.

The Grand Championship itself may not be on the line, but in the mental aspect of this war, the battle Thursday night is going to be a big one, indeed.

#2 Contender: Texano
Last Week: Unranked

Texano has made sure to make his time in Impact count, immediately joining Pagano and Fantasma in their quest to make Impact’s elite suffer.

The former AAA Mega Campeón and Rey de Reyes is absolutely not someone to overlook, and if anyone on the Impact roster does so, Texano will make them pay in a manner most violent.

Heading into the tag team encounter Thursday night, Texano has to see the contest as his opportunity to really make his statement in Impact. He needs to show the Grand Champion that he’s not just some other guy that showed up to help his friends. He needs to let EC3 see that Texano is someone who has won prestigious gold before, and knows how to do it again, no matter the opponent.

In the same sense that EC3 has to watch his back even amongst his allies, there’s a chance that this will eventually bring Team AAA’s partnership to an end, as they all appear to want that Grand Championship. However, it appears that all three men are more than happy to wait until the gold has been taken from EC3 before they turn on each other. It’s just a question of which superstar will be the one to unseat EC3, if any of them are to do it at all? With so many questions, it’s definitely on the shoulders of Texano and Fantasma to provide some answers on Thursday night!!

#3 Contender: Eddie Edwards
Last Week: #3 Contender

Eddie Edwards didn’t do much last week, but holds his spot based on past performances, and the fact that he is still an important part of this AAA vs. Impact feud that seems to be centered around EC3 and the Grand Championship!

Edwards finds himself in the same situation as Pagano – the man left out as the tag team encounter looms. But Edwards knows that as long as he assists EC3, he’ll have a favor to call in down the line. And, should EC3 falter at some point and lose that belt, then Edwards is in a prime position to call out the new champion, especially if it’s one of the AAA combatants.

While sitting out a week or two isn’t the worst thing, Eddie has to know that in the bubbling cauldron that is the Impact Grand Championship division, every move counts, and time is of the essence. This columnist is sure that he’ll find himself back in the mix sooner than later, but if he doesn’t do something soon, his placement in the rankings will definitely suffer.

#4 Contender: James Storm
Last Week: Unranked

James Storm makes his debut in the rankings by virtue of his new role in the AAA vs. Impact feud, and the implications it has on the division as a whole!

Storm has not had the best few months, and he knows it. Losing to Carter at Slammiversary was bad enough, but being shelved with a concussion for a while after only made things worse. When he returned, he lost to Low Ki in a match that had World Title opportunity written all over it, and since then, the man just hasn’t had a real goal.

That’s changed. He first attempted to make some sort of peace with Carter, which was first spurned, but later accepted. He’s fallen back into his comfortable role of Impact Defender, always ready to go after anyone who shows any level of disrespect to his home company.

The Cowboy lost a lot of ground in 2017, but it looks like he wants to try and get some of it back. His allegiance to the company will always bring him chance after chance, and his love of fighting will always bring him someone to knock him down. If he can help vanquish the AAA guys, Storm could look to finally put a bow on his feud with EC3, and make a move for that Grand Championship at the same time.

#5 Contender: Trevor Lee
Last Week: Unranked

The Impact X Division Champion makes his debut in the Grand Championship rankings, as the man has been on fire in recent weeks, and looks to show no signs of slowing down any time soon. That should be a very scary thought for everyone on the roster.

Lee started this hot streak off by stealing the X Division belt from Sonjay Dutt, claiming that he was the rightful champion all along. This would lead to a Falls Count Anywhere match between the two, and Lee would walk out victorious after an assist from Caleb Konley.

This past Thursday at Victory Road, Lee would defend his championship in an excellent match against Petey Williams, who recently returned to the company in fantastic shape, and ready to prove he could once again hold X Division gold. Yes, he did it with yet more help from Konley, but a win is a win, no matter the subterfuge.

Trevor Lee is a dangerous man in that ring, blending solid grappling with agility and speed, as well as a sneaky level of strength that has led to his dominance over the X Division during his time in the company. Should this man decide to spread his wings and try to win another belt, we here at the ZeeWI offices feel that he would be a great dark horse pick to win it all. With Trevor Lee, it’s not a matter of if… but a matter of when.

Further GFW Impact Musings…

Coming off the heels of a great night of action at Victory Road, what better time to talk about E_Li_Drake, who showed Johnny Impact that winning the World Title isn’t going to be as easy as just showing up!

Since winning the World Title, Drake has been a completely different wrestler, consumed with proving every doubter wrong, and showing that his win in the Gauntlet for the Gold was anything but a fluke. This has led to a dangerous man walking around the Impact Zone halls, one with all the power, the backup to protect it, and the tools to use it on anyone he chooses.

Now, yes, the win over Johnny wasn’t the most honorable, but it was still a win, and a big one at that. Johnny Impact is a three division champion in AAA, and E_Li_Drake was able to put those shoulders down for the ever important three count. Suspicious circumstances or not, that’s a big win.

Of course, with Impact now focused solely on Bound For Glory, one has to wonder who is next to challenge Drake? Will someone like Eddie Edwards step up for a shot? Maybe Garza Jr will make it known that he wants a chance to prove he belongs? Or maybe Johnny Impact will get another chance, based off of how the last match ended?

It appears that no matter what happens, it won’t matter to E_Li_Drake. No matter the challenge, he knows he’s one hop on the Gravy Train away from collecting another huge payday, and that’s what drives him more than anything.

For three years, Drake fought like hell to get any type of attention from the company. He tried defending the company. He tried taking out one of its biggest defenders in Drew Galloway. He tried using his mouth to get himself into matches he hadn’t quite yet earned. He tried calling everyone a dummy. And while some of that led to minor successes here and there, it never got him exactly where he wanted to be.

Now, though? Everything he’s ever done, everything he’s ever fought for – it’s worth it. That gold belt is all he needs to see to know that he’s done things the right way, even if it wasn’t the fastest way. And after a win over someone many expected Drake to fall short against in Johnny Impact, it appears that we may very well have a champion that will reign for quite a bit of time to come.

And, as I’ve heard said before, that’s not an insult… that is just a fact of life!